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i believe that to form a viable coalition government in this sort of situation, rutte will have to bargain with enough of his colleagues to form a majority

with 150 seats, Rutte will be hard pressed to form a coalition (of 76) that does not include Geert

especially considering that analysts are attributing the huge loss by the labor party as being due to their constituents dissatisfaction with their having just participated in a coalition government with Rutte

If the Nazis of the 21st century have a distinctive look, it's spray-tanned and goofy-haired.

Geert was Trump before Trump was Trump, at least in terms of his attitude toward Muslims. Of course, I'm hoping his failure to win is an early sign of the tide turning, but it's really impossible to say. The French election will give a better sign.

Global warming denialists are like gravity denialists piloting a helicopter, determined to prove a point. We may not have time to actually persuade them of their mistake.

If the Nazis of the 21st century have a distinctive look, it's spray-tanned and goofy-haired.

Geert was Trump before Trump was Trump, at least in terms of his attitude toward Muslims. Of course, I'm hoping his failure to win is an early sign of the tide turning, but it's really impossible to say. The French election will give a better sign.

If the Nazis of the 21st century have a distinctive look, it's spray-tanned and goofy-haired.

Geert was Trump before Trump was Trump, at least in terms of his attitude toward Muslims. Of course, I'm hoping his failure to win is an early sign of the tide turning, but it's really impossible to say. The French election will give a better sign.

taking the media at their word for this, but the analysts are saying the only reason Rutte held on was because he moved further right, closer to Wilder

the mood in the country (holland) appears to one of being fed up with an inability to deal with the problems of immigrants and islam

AMSTERDAM ó The Dutch anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders acknowledged Thursday that voters denied him a chance to rule his nation. But to many Dutch Muslims, his victory was secured long before his nationís nail-biter election.

The reelected Dutch prime minister told immigrants to fit in or get out. A likely coalition partner wants to impose restrictions on refugees. A nation once known for its laid-back tolerance is now focused on its divisions. And while European leaders breathed a sigh of relief that a raucous populist had been beaten back ahead of elections this year in France and Germany, many Muslims say that Wildersís raw racism is still ascendant.

...

Rutte began the difficult work Thursday of forming a governing coalition, a process that is expected to take weeks or even months. Dutch citizens spread their votes across a wide spectrum of parties, electing 13 of them to parliament. Rutte will have to persuade at least three other parties to join his side, coming to office with a weak coalition whose main unifying principle is that it is anti-Wilders. That could be a long-term benefit to the right-wing firebrand if he can convince his voters that mainstream politicians are unjustly shutting their voices out of government.